Healing Bodies, Healing Souls - Dhurana (Sam 27 MT)

[Sevti]

The door the Karuna brought Dhurana through lead to a wide, arched corridor. The fragrant scent of the blossoms followed them for a few feet, wafting away as they moved further from the gardens. The priestess seemed to glide down the corridor, her footsteps barely a whisper in the quiet of the Temple.

"All those that serve K'Tan live here at the Temple," Karuna informed K'Tan's newest supplicant. "You'll be living with the other acolytes. Since you've chosen the path of healing, you'll be paired with a Priest or Priestess that already has mastered those skills. It will be for them to determine when you cross the threshold from acolyte to priestess." She smiled warmly at the young achadhiel. "Though I don't suspect you'll have problems with your commitment, as I've seen with so many others that have left K'Tan's service."

She turned at the first corridor leading off to the east. "Your room is down this corridor. You will share it with another acolyte that has just joined us - Anasuya. She has chosen a different path, choosing to minister to the poor, so you may only see her in the evenings when your tasks for the Mother have been completed."

About halfway down the corridor, Karuna stopped and knocked softly on an unadorned door to her right. While she waited for an answer, she turned back to Dhurana with a smile. "I don't think that Anasuya is in, but politeness must always be observed." After a burn with no answer, she opened the door to a spartan room. The room was split into two halves. If it weren't for the books on the desk to the left, they could have been mirrors of each other. Against each wall stood a bed with a small wardrobe at it's foot. On the other two walls sat the desks, the one under the small window letting in the morningtide sun empty.

"You can leave your things here and then I'll introduce you to the Priestess Mother," she told Dhurana, stepping aside to let the young lass into her new quarters.

[Dhurana Enarch]

Dhurana followed the adheil down the corridor, glancing around, taking everything in. This is my home. she thought, smiling. The smile turned into a grin, and she filled with pride as the priestess spoke.

"I certainly don't plan to leave." she confirmed. She followed until the priestess stopped and knocked at a plain door, and nodded at her explanation. She was used to observances of courtesy, and tucked this new information away in her mind along with the others.

Once the door was opened, Dhurana poked her head in and looked around. It was a light, simple room, so different from the room of her childhood, adorned with small toys and keepsakes. Still, she did like this room. It looked warm and comfortable, and she doubted she would spend much time here, save for sleeping.

The priestess stepped aside and Dhurana walked in, quietly, and set her bag, bow, and arrows down at the foot of the bed on her right, on top of the wardrobe. She turned, looking around the room, then back at the priestess. "It is lovely," she smiled, and went once more to the priestess' side, eager to meet with the Priestess Mother, wondering what she would say, and what she would think of this scruffy achadheil in her dusty, road-worn clothes.

[Sevti]

Karuna's lips curved into an amused smile. She, too, had held the same excitement at her entrance into the Temple all those yahren ago. The yahren had taught her patience but sometimes... sometimes, the priestess thought whistfully, the joy of youth was something to be missed.

Using some of that learned patience, she waited for Dhurana to close the door to her new room, then lead her down the hall and out of the dormatory section. They had just passed through the entrance into the main of the Temple when an acolyte, maybe a yahren or two older than Dhurana, rushed up to the pair. His face was red from his run through the Temple, his breath coming in gasps.

"Priestess..." He swallowed, trying to draw air into his lungs quickly. "Priestess Karuna, I've been sent to bring you. Priestess Althea..."

Karuna put a hand out to steady the lad. "Capture your breath, Rafal. Your words won't come any more quickly if you need to pause for breath every few flickers."

The boy nodded, bending over to rest his hands on his knees for half a burn before speaking again, this time with more control. "Priestess Althea sent me to find you. An adhiel lady has been brought in, beaten pretty badly by some humans out near the Northern Gate. Someone said that she's the same one that helped heal that girl a few nights ago. The one over at the Lotus Blossom... The Priestess thinks your help will be needed. Now."

"Mother's mercy," Karuna whispered. More fuel to the fire. For a brief moment, she pursed her lips in thought, then nodded as she came to a decision. "I'll be there momentarily. Unless you've been asked otherwise, I have a further task for you."

She turned from the adhiel lad to the achadhiel lass with a look of apology. "I will not be able to bring you to the Priestess Mother as I originally promised. Healing rarely can wait for a more convient time. I would still like for you to meet the Priestess Mother, however, and when you're finished, meet me in the wards."

Returning her attention to Rafal, she introduced the pair. "Rafal, this is Dhurana. She has just come today to follow K'Tan's path. Would you be so kind to bring her to the Priestess Mother's office, and when she's finished, back to me? Dhurana, this is Rafal, another of the acolytes following the path of healing. He has been with us for several months and will be a very appropriate guide in my absence."

Smiling at the pair, she nodded once more. "I'll see you both in a mark or so." And with that, she hurried down the corridor and out of sight.

Rafal watched Karuna's retreating figure, then turned to Dhurana with a wide smile. "Nice to meet you, Dhurana," he welcomed her as he began to lead her through the halls. "Where have you come from? I know I haven't seen you in Temple before, so I'm guessing you aren't from Cerleann?"

[Dhurana Enarch]

Dhurana followed Karuna down the hall in silence, lost in thought. What would the Priestess Mother look like? Would she be ageless and beautiful like Karuna, or old and withering, with the quiet dignity that comes with age? Would she be welcoming, or judgmental? At this point, Dhurana's mind led her down fearful paths. She pictured herself stumbling, tripping over her skirt in front of the Priestess Mother, and laying, splayed out on the floor, or worse, saying something blasphemous or offensive, or...

The young man appeared suddenly and loudly, bringing Dhurana out of her trance and giving her a start. She stepped back and gasped, hand to throat. Not a flicker later, though, she recognized he was of the clergy. She listened as the stranger spoke, her eyes growing wider and wider as he told his story. Humans attacked an adheil, and a healer at that! she thought. Mother, do my brothers and sisters have no honor at all?

She looked questioningly to Karuna as the priestess gave her instructions. "No, of course, tending the wounded is most important." Dhurana nodded, and turned again to the man as they were introduced. She smiled and bobbed her head respectfully.

She watched as Karuna hurried away, then turned back to Rafal as he led her further into the Temple. "Nice to meet you, too, Rafal," she returned the smile, still wary of this new acquaintance. "You're quite observant." she smoothed her hair and glanced around, trying to memorise the halls and the directions they took.

"I come from Paoganabh. My father owns a small horse farm there, where I was raised. I've not ever been to Cerleann before, and indeed, I only arrived this morning, not more than a few marks ago. I didn't have a chance to look around much; I wanted to get to my business here as fast as I could, and who knows? Maybe this path will lead me elsewhere." she paused, smiling. "What of you? Are you from Cerleann?"

[Sevti]

The directions they were taking didn't seem to be too complicated. For the most part, they continued deeper within the Temple with very few initial turns.

Rafal's chest swelled. "Born and bred," he replied, smiling with pride. "I know everything there is to know about Cerleann and then some. If you want..." A faint touch of color touched the young adhiel's cheeks. "If you want, I can show you around sometime, when we aren't needed in training. For all that Temple life fulfills you if K'Tan has called, it would be a shame not to see some of the other joys that Cerelann has to offer."

Excitement colored his violet eyes as a thought came to mind. "I can take you to my mother's shop. She's one of the best seamstresses in all of Kislovan. You could have her make you a few more saris. I've never known a lass that didn't like clothes," he told her with a wink.

Then, realizing the impertinence of such a statement to someone he's just met, he cleared his throat and, licking his lips nervously, continued. "And I'm sure she'd be able to make your healers saris for you. She usually does work for those of us here at the Temple at cost. The healers saris and dhoti are specially made anyway. Like this," he gestured to his own dhoti, brown and green with beads fringing the edges. "And the one Karuna was wearing. It makes it easier for people to stop us if they need our services."

[Dhurana Enarch]

Rafal's nervousness put Dhurana instantly at ease, allowing her to regain some semblance of control over her current situation. She laughed at his falters, but not unkindly. "Please, don't trouble yourself over offending me," she looked down at her own clothes and grinned. "Truly, I do need at least one new sari, and of course some healers saris. If it makes you feel any better, I've not met a lass who didn't like clothes, either."

She met Rafal's eyes again, but glaced at the ground every so often, mindful of any steps or uneven floor that would trip her up. "It would be wonderful to have a guide to show me through Cerleann, too. I would gladly take you up on your offer." she laughed, then, and picked a loose thread at her sleeve. "As we speak, I know my way only from here to the north gate and back again. I don't expect I'd be of much use if it were needed that I travel anywhere else. It's a wonder, really, that I managed to get here from Paoganabh at all: I have a terrible sense of direction."

Dhurana smiled, almost melancholy. "I do hope I don't miss Paoganabh too much. I've not been away from my parents for more than a few days in my life. Already I do miss my father, he used to take me hunting every so often, much to my mothers' chagrin." at that she shook her head in an attempt to push thoughts of home out of her mind, and decided a change of subject was in order. "The beading on your dhoti is lovely. Is that your mothers work?"

[Sevti]

At Dhurana's reassurance that she would not be offended, the youth blushed even brighter. He swallowed hard, glancing away to regain his composure before looking back at his achadhiel companion. Pretty AND nice... wow.

The thought made his cheeks redden even more. "Cerleann can be a little difficult to find your way around sometimes," he admitted, pushing his thoughts to the side to concentrate on where she was bringing the conversation instead. "But it shouldn't take you long to learn your way around, I wouldn't think. Maybe tomorrow?" His violet eyes watched her expectantly.

As she spoke of missing her parents, the adhiel sighed and nodded. "I can only imagine how difficult it must be. Even though K'Tan tells us all to follow our own paths... I couldn't imagine not having my mother near enough by to ask advice of her when I needed it. Will you return to Paoganabh when you've finished your training?"

Rafal's own nervousness abated as he spoke, being replaced by pride once more when the acolyte asked about his dhoti. "Of course," he replied with a grin, stopping for a moment to hold up the edge of the garment for Dhurana to inspect. "She often tells me that I'm her best form of advertisement."

The beading is exquisitely done, no pulls in the fabric and each bead just barely touching the one next to it. One would need to look closely to even see the stitching that held everything together. It did seem that Rafal's mother was exactly as he claimed - an excellent seamstress.

[Dhurana Enarch]

The look of embarrassment on her guides face made Dhurana blush herself, half out of sympathy for the young man, and half out of shyness on her own part. She didn't like that she was putting him at such unease, but watched him, curious as to his reactions. "Tomorrow would be as good a time as any," she allowed. "The sooner the better, I suppose. I'll be here for a while yet, but it would be foolish to put it off."

She smiled at his sympathy when she spoke of her parents. "We all do follow our own paths, it's true, and I suppose there comes a time when every child must leave their home." she looked up at him and grinned. "You've just been lucky, that your path lead you not far from your mother."

Sighing, she shook her head. "I don't know if I will return home, to be honest. If K'Tan sees fit to lead me back, then I'll follow, of course - but in the same way, if I'm not meant to, if that's not where I'm needed, then it would just be a waste of time, I suppose." she shrugged. "It seems rather indulgent of me think about taking leave, when it looks as though I'll be needed in other places after my training. I suspect the situation is... not as needful, shall we say, in Paoganabh. It's a little more sheltered, at least in my town." she mused, thoughts of the attacked adheil worrying her heart. In an attempt to lighten the subject, for herself and for Rafal both, Dhurana laughed. "Though being an achadheil in Paoganabh is one thing I do not recommend."

Dhurana looked closely at the offered edge of Rafal's dhoti and smiled indulgently, nodding. "It certainly is skillfully done, isn't it? Your mother must take great care in her work. I don't think I've seen needlework so well done before."

[Sevti]

Rafal beamed at the compliment regarding his mother's work. "She refuses to let anyone but herself to the beadwork," he confirmed. "She's got some humans that help her with the simple sewing, but the beadwork... for that, she trusts no one but herself. It's what makes her clothing sought after."

Dhurana's comment about being achadhiel may have been meant to lighten the moment, but instead it caused Rafal to snort softly. "There's no place on Kislovan where being an achadhiel is advisable," he remarked. "There are too many of our bretheren who can't see beyond the tips of their own ears to see that the importance is in what someone does with a life rather than what race their parents were. If K'Tan didn't think that the union of an adhiel and a human were a good thing, he wouldn't bless it."

The adhiel youth shook his head with a short bark of ironic laughter. "Not that you can talk sense into some. They'll interpret K'Tan's word in the worst way possible."

He reached out, placing a tentative hand on Dhurana's arm, attempting to stop her for a moment. Glancing down the corridor, first before them, then behind, he seemed satisfied that they were alone. "You'll want to be wary of Anide and Anaxarete," he whispered. "They are the worst of the bunch here. Humans are beneath their contempt - if one comes in for healing, neither will sully their hands to work upon one. And they are little better when an achadhiel is in need of their talents."

He shook his head sadly, "Which is a shame, because they are both very good at what they do. There was a little adhiel girl, one of the members of House Anghiril, thrown from her horse. It was doubtful that the child would ever be able to walk again, but between the two of them, they got her one her feet once more. I still see the young one running through the streets on occasion. But you in particular need to take care," he told her, his violet eyes meeting hers in all seriousness. "They've already managed to chase one achadhiel lad from our ranks. They never do anything that will get them dismissed from the Temple, but they do make life difficult for anyone who does not meet their ideal of a proper recepticle for K'Tan's gifts."

The sound of footsteps echoed from around a corner and Rafal began walking once more. "Just be wary," he warned.

[Tristam]

Thread archived without skilling due to character disappearance.